Dog Tip of the Day

Choosing the Right Comb for Your Dog

Our previous Dog Tip of the Day covered selecting the right brush for your dog. But what about combs? Like brushes, different ones work best for different types of dogs. Let's look at the other grooming options for your dog, depending on his type of hair:

Fine- and Medium-Toothed Combs

The comb will remove the last remains of tangles the brush might have missed. You'll have to work slowly as you comb through the tangles so you don't pull your dog's hair (think of combing a child's hair...the combing will be that much more difficult next time if you pull on tangles this time.) A fine comb can often help remove flea dirt as well as the fleas themselves.

Best for: Dogs with silky, soft hair or with fine-to-medium textured hair

Wide-Toothed Combs

Like the fine- and medium-toothed combs, the wide-toothed combs take out the last of the tangles. Comb slowly so you don't pull your dog's hair.

Best for: dogs with a dense and very thick coat

Coat Rake, Mat Comb, or Mat Splitter

Just like working through tangled human hair, a spray de-tangler can really help get through the tangles without pulling and it's recommended for dealing with mats and tangles. Mat combs and coat rakes, designed like a mini-rake, are also specially designed for getting through tangles.

Best for: curly and long-coated dogs

Hound Glove

Like the name suggests, this is a glove that you slip on and brush your dog, using the glove's side covered with natural bristles. Smooth-coated dogs like some hounds benefit from this as it helps to remove dead hair in an efficient manner, while adding a shine to the coat.

Best for: short-coated dogs

Labels: Grooming

posted by Paris and John @ 10:17 AM